September 29, 2016

Trump's infinitely flaky fellatio fallacy

There were early efforts to run a more standard form of general election debate-prep camp, led by Roger Ailes, the ousted Fox News chief, at Mr. Trump’s golf course in Bedminster, N.J. But Mr. Trump found it hard to focus during those meetings.... That left Mr. Ailes, who at the time was deeply distracted by his removal from Fox and the news media reports surrounding it, discussing his own problems as well as recounting political war stories, according to two people present for the sessions.

Rudolph W. Giuliani, a former New York City mayor and a friend of Mr. Trump’s who has been traveling with him extensively, took over much of the preparation efforts by the end.

I like Paul Waldman's take on that second bit of reporting, which appears to be as futuristic as it is retrospective:

If Rudy Giuliani is your main adviser … you've got a problem. Among other things, Giuliani is now offering the brilliant suggestion that Trump attack Clinton by noting that her husband cheated on her. Perhaps that's not surprising coming from Giuliani, who not only quite publicly cheated on his wife when he was mayor of New York but did everything he could to humiliate her in the process, in an episode of uncommon cruelty. Trump himself seems to like the idea; since Monday's debate he has suggested again and again to reporters that while he didn't bring up Monica Lewinsky then, he really wants to. That's going to go over great with women voters.

As profoundly sarcastic as Waldman's point is, in TrumpWorld Hillary's husband's indiscretions are seen as cunningly rational grounds for attacking the spousal victim — which, of course, is a profound irrationality into which the rational mind cannot travel. Bill's extramarital fellatio session not only catapulted Hillary into newfound national popularity and approval, but, shortly thereafter, into a New York Senate seat. Channeling the uncommonly cruel and unquestionably senile Rudy, The Donald now proposes to do Hillary Newt's immense favor all over again.

Comments

There were early efforts to run a more standard form of general election debate-prep camp, led by Roger Ailes, the ousted Fox News chief, at Mr. Trump’s golf course in Bedminster, N.J. But Mr. Trump found it hard to focus during those meetings.... That left Mr. Ailes, who at the time was deeply distracted by his removal from Fox and the news media reports surrounding it, discussing his own problems as well as recounting political war stories, according to two people present for the sessions.

Rudolph W. Giuliani, a former New York City mayor and a friend of Mr. Trump’s who has been traveling with him extensively, took over much of the preparation efforts by the end.

I like Paul Waldman's take on that second bit of reporting, which appears to be as futuristic as it is retrospective:

If Rudy Giuliani is your main adviser … you've got a problem. Among other things, Giuliani is now offering the brilliant suggestion that Trump attack Clinton by noting that her husband cheated on her. Perhaps that's not surprising coming from Giuliani, who not only quite publicly cheated on his wife when he was mayor of New York but did everything he could to humiliate her in the process, in an episode of uncommon cruelty. Trump himself seems to like the idea; since Monday's debate he has suggested again and again to reporters that while he didn't bring up Monica Lewinsky then, he really wants to. That's going to go over great with women voters.

As profoundly sarcastic as Waldman's point is, in TrumpWorld Hillary's husband's indiscretions are seen as cunningly rational grounds for attacking the spousal victim — which, of course, is a profound irrationality into which the rational mind cannot travel. Bill's extramarital fellatio session not only catapulted Hillary into newfound national popularity and approval, but, shortly thereafter, into a New York Senate seat. Channeling the uncommonly cruel and unquestionably senile Rudy, The Donald now proposes to do Hillary Newt's immense favor all over again.